The Truth about Your Father
by Brianna Lynette
Summary: The same night that baby Harry became the Boy Who Lived, three year old Katie lost the father she will never remember. Now seventeen years later she will finally learn the truth about what really happened all those years ago.
1. One More Victim

Disclaimer: I am not the awesome JK Rowling not even close. Only David, Rebecca, J.J., Josh, Jake, and Jason belong to me.

It was a dark quiet morning in the small English village. All of the village residents were sound asleep, all of them except for one. Rebecca Bell was wide awake going through some old boxes and sorting the contents into new boxes with several different names on them. This wasn't the first time that Rebecca found herself in this room recently. Up until two months ago this room was never disturbed in the fourteen years the Bells had lived there. When the family first moved in Rebecca claimed this room for herself and her family knew better then to ask questions about it. Rebecca had a feeling that her husband and oldest son knew what was in here and respected her need to not tell them about it. She never really gave this room or its contents any conscious thought, well she tried not to. This room represented a painful past and Rebecca tried to forget the memories. She had been trying to forget them for twenty years and she acted like she had forgotten them. But in reality they were still as fresh as if they happened yesterday. For twenty years she pretended that she didn't still love that man and that she loved life. When she really had a hard time getting through the day without thinking about what could have been. She never got over what happened so long ago. When she told her two oldest children that their Daddy died she didn't tell them that he took their mother with them. Rebecca had a feeling that they knew anyway. As she put the final items in their respective boxes she realized that when she started this project two months ago she had been waiting for the day she was finally done. That she would be able to let this go finally and be at peace. Stacking the boxes in the corner, Rebecca's emerald green eyes fell on a photograph on the floor. Realizing what it was a picture of, she closed her eyes trying not to cry at the site. The picture was taken exactly twenty years and two months ago, right after Katie was born. Rebecca clutched it to her chest and hoped that Katie and J.J. would understand why she did this. Then before she changed her mind, Rebecca grabbed a potion off the desk behind her sat on the couch and drank it.

That was where her husband found her three hours later.

David Bell had become use to waking up alone in the last two months. Ever since the war ended Rebecca hadn't been able to sleep. He had a bad feeling that she was trying to finish something that should have been over twenty years ago. David knew that she wasn't well. If he thought she would talk to one, he would have sent her to a therapist years ago. But he knew that she would never talk to one. Rebecca never seemed to be comfortable in her own skin. She was always jumpy and paranoid. She became even worse during the summer before Katie's fifth year at school. On some level David was afraid that one day he would wake up to find her gone. And when he woke up on the morning the last day in July he had that bad feeling. The one he got when he knew something was wrong. Usually when he woke up alone he went about his routine and Rebecca would come in sometime later. So he tried to act like this was a normal day. He went through his morning routine and tried to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach. However he couldn't ignore it anymore when his wife never came into the bedroom and he couldn't hear her in the kitchen. With a sigh David made his way in the direction of Rebecca's memory room.

When he got there the door was open and he saw the boxes stacked against the wall with different names on them. As he entered the room, looked around and took a deep breath when his eyes landed on a peaceful looking Rebecca. At first David thought she was asleep, but then he saw the potion bottle and picture in her hand. When he saw those two things, he knew. David didn't let himself fall apart; instead he started to get things done. He sent a note into the office telling them he wouldn't be in. Got the local doctor to pronounce her and take her to his office until the service. After the doctor left, he got ready to go to London. He had to go see J.J. and Katie, tell them in person.

When David got to London he decided to go see Katie first. He knew she would still be at home getting ready for work. He tried not to look upset as he knocked on her door but knew he failed miserably when the smile Katie answered the door with disappeared and concern filled her face. David moved towards his only daughter and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Your Mom she…" David started. Katie pulled away from her father to look at him. Seeing how upset he was she pulled him into her apartment and shut the door. She would have asked him to explain but there was no need. Katie knew what he was trying to tell her and knew that it had been a long time coming. So with tears in her eyes she asked him the only thing she really needed to know.

"What happened?"

"Well you know that she hasn't been sleeping that much since the war ended." Katie nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"She hasn't been in bed in the morning when I wake up for the last two months. Usually she comes back into the bedroom while I'm getting ready for work or goes into the kitchen to start breakfast. That didn't happen this morning. When she wasn't in the kitchen I went looking for her. I found her in her memory room and she looked like an angel. She was just laying there holding on to a picture for dear life. I could have taken her to the hospital but I knew that there would be no point in that Katie. I knew she was gone. And when I saw what picture she had I knew that you and J.J. needed to be told the truth." Katie just stood there looking at David silently crying. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Katie broke the silence.

"The truth about what? And where are Josh, Jake, and Jason?"

"Your brothers are staying with some school friends and I haven't told them yet. I thought that you and Jay should know first. The truth about what really happened all those years ago Kate. The reason your mother was the way she was." The young woman accepted her father's answer and started to pull herself together. She dried her eyes and sent an owl to her boss explaining her absence at work that day.

"Where is J.J.? We should probably go get him so I can tell you guys what I know."

"Jay is at practice. Let me get my coat and we can go." While Katie got her coat she thought about what David told her. She knew her mother wasn't happy. It really didn't surprise her that her mom was gone. That doesn't mean it hurt any less but Katie honestly expected her mom to leave them behind years ago. And what was it David was talking about telling her and J.J. the truth about what happened? 'Well I guess I'm going to find out.' She thought to herself as she and David left the apartment.

When they got to the Puddlemere United practice field Katie told David that it might be better if she told J.J. As they were walking toward the pitch they ran into Marshall Sanders, the team's manager.

"Hey it's my favorite Ministry official. I didn't know you were coming for a visit today Katie how are you? And who did you bring with you?" Katie gave Marshall a weak smile.

"I'm not here as a Ministry employee Marshall, I'm here as a sister. And I'm not the best at the moment. This is David Bell my Dad."

"It is nice to meet you Mr. Bell that son of yours is a good kid. I'm sorry to hear that you aren't doing so well Katie but you know that I can't let you yell at J.J. till they stop for lunch."

"Actually Marshall I need to speak to him now because I have some bad news."

"Of course Katie you can go out to get him but Mr. Bell I'm afraid I can't let you go out on to the field. I wouldn't want you to be hit by a stray bludger." Katie thanked Marshall and went to get her brother. Walking out onto the pitch she noticed that he was practicing by the hoops with Oliver and the team's two other Chasers. Katie couldn't help but smile at the sight of her big brother trying to get the quaffle past his best friend. 'Some things never change.' She thought to herself. After J.J.'s failed attempt at a goal, Katie tried to get Oliver's attention. When the Keeper noticed her he grinned, and said something to his teammates causing them to look her direction. The four of them flew down to meet her.

"Hey Kit-Kat I didn't know you would be stopping by today." Oliver greeted the young woman with a smile and a hug. Katie rolled her eyes at him for using his nickname for her.

"Gross Oliver you're all sweaty. And I didn't know I would be stopping by today either. Amy, Greg how are you?" Katie asked the other two Chasers.

"We're good Katie. It's good to see you again." Greg answered her. Katie didn't respond to Greg, instead she looked at her brother. Jonathan James Bell was looking at his sister with a confused expression on his face. He seemed to not be too happy that she was here. No one but Katie and Oliver seemed to notice J.J.'s odd reaction at his sister's presence. Normally J.J. was thrilled to see Katie. The two of them were incredibly close and saw each other regularly. But Katie didn't seem to be happy to be here. In fact it seemed like the last place in the world she wanted to be right now was the Puddlemere practice field. Greg and Amy flew off to practice some more when the two siblings started their little staring contest; it felt like they needed a family moment. Oliver, who was always treated like another brother in the Bell family, stayed right where he was trying to figure out what was going on with two of his favorite people. He was about to ask that very question when J.J. broke the silence.

"What's wrong?" J.J. asked her quietly. Katie looked at him and tried to smile but tears filled her eyes instead.

"It's mom Jay. She um…" Katie couldn't finish her sentence before the tears spilled out. J.J. came forward pushing Oliver out of the way so he could pull his sister in to his arms.

"When?"

"Th This morning. Dad found her in her memory room. He said that she looked like an angel just lying there and that she was holding a picture of some sort. He also said that he needs to tell us the truth about what happened all those years ago." J.J. just held on to Katie tighter. He had a feeling he knew what picture his mother had been holding and what his step-father was going to tell them. J.J. wasn't that young when everything went down to not remember what it did to their mother. But he pretended that he was. His mom and Katie needed him to pretend that he didn't remember. So he pretended. He pretended that his real father really did die that night. He pretended to believe that his mom was over it, completely happy and totally in love with David Bell. And for ten years or so he was able to keep up the pretense but things changed the summer before his seventh year at school. His mother changed. She became paranoid and jumpy, always glancing at the door or fireplace. As if she was waiting for someone. Katie never really understood why their mother became like that but J.J. did. He knew who she was waiting for and he also knew that he was never coming. He sighed and locked eyes with Oliver over Katie's head. Oliver was one of the only people outside of the family that knew that David Bell's two oldest children weren't his own. Oliver was also one of the only people that J.J. had ever come close to almost telling about his real father. But he never did, because he made a promise to his real father and despite what that man did to his family J.J. could never bring himself to break it. J.J. silently asked Oliver to tell the captain why he had to leave before leading his sister off the pitch. Oliver just watched them go hoping they would be able t make it through this.

**Well this is my first Harry Potter story and I am really excited about it. There are just a couple of things that you need to know. First this story follows the books for the most part. I am just taking a few characters and changing/expanding their story a little bit. I also would like you to know that I am not from England nor have I ever been there. I am American. So I will be using American words/slang because if I tried using English words/slang I know that I would butcher them. I hope ya'll like this first chapter. I hope it wasn't too confusing. I always appreciate hearing what people think about my stories, even if it isn't nice. I have also done a lot of research to make sure the storyline works with the books. If I got something wrong please feel free to correct me. One last thing, I am currently working on two other stories for two other fandoms. So updates will depend a lot on what I have inspiration for. Reviews do help A LOT. Because if I open my inbox and there are reviews for this story it makes me happy and I usually go start the next chapter right away. Alright I am going to shut up now. My author's notes aren't usually this long.**

**Brianna**


	2. A Tough Few Days

After leaving the Puddlemere practice pitch the three Bell's didn't know what to do or say. They ended up following J.J. back to his apartment where showered and packed some things for his unexpected visit home. He also sent an owl to his captain and manager explaining his sudden departure from practice and telling them of his absence for the next few days. When he was done they continued on to Katie's apartment where she did the same thing and then the three of them left for home. The house was dead silent when they arrived and Katie had to fight back the tears that filled her eyes. A few minutes after arriving home Katie finally broke the silence that had enveloped them since breaking the news to J.J.

"Dad we have to tell the boys and start planning the service."

"I'll go send an owl and we can go pick them up later. I have already notified the cemetery, so the only thing we really have to do is pick out the casket and write the obituary." The two younger Bells just nodded in agreement with their father before going to their rooms. After unpacking Katie set out to clean the house and plan something for dinner. She was really just keeping herself busy, trying not to cry because she had to be strong for her brothers. Her mom always told her that in a house full of boys where everything was always a mess, it was the woman's job to stay put together. So that was what she did, she stayed put together. She together when her brothers came home all upset. She stayed together at dinner. She stayed together while picking out the casket and writing her mother's obituary. For three whole days Katie stayed strong for her family, not once in three days did she cry. The fourth day, the day of the service, was harder to keep up the mask but she was determined. She made sure that Jason, Jake, Josh, and J.J. had their suits on before going to get dressed. As she looked at the simple black dress on her bed, Katie thought over the last few days. There had been times when she wanted to break down and cry, but she didn't want to do it alone. She wanted to do it with J.J. because for some reason Katie felt like they were the only ones in their family that had truly been going through this from the start, the only two that had been with their mother when she truly died. But when she went to her brother he didn't respond the way he usually did. Usually when Katie was upset he would take her in his arms and let her cry, whispering comforting words until she was calmed. He was always her shoulder to cry on and when he needed someone to lean on she was there. He never cried like she did but she let him break down when he needed too, which wasn't very often. But there was never a time that Katie could remember, when they both needed to break down. This time J.J. asked Katie to leave him alone, told her that he didn't want to be around people including her. He was almost rude about it. Katie tried not to take it personally telling herself that people grieved in different ways but it was hard. So she decided that if her brother was going to be that way then she wouldn't cry about it.

However, staring at the dress on her bed the urge that she had been suppressing for days finally overcame her. Katie sunk down on her knees and cried quietly. She was so lost in her tears that she didn't notice the soft knock on her door, or her door being opened by Oliver. Seeing the state she was in, the Keeper quickly closed the door behind him and went to take the young woman in his arms. Katie let herself be wrapped up in the comforting warmth of Oliver's arms. For what seemed like hours, or maybe even days the two of them sat there on the floor of Katie's bedroom, while Oliver rocked her and whispered soothing, comforting words Katie finally let everything she had been feeling out. When it seemed that Katie's tears were slowing down Oliver pulled back to look at her.

"This sucks Katie. I don't know how you're feeling or what I can say that will make it better. But I do know that you can handle this. You will get through this because you are one of the strongest people that I know. You can't think of yesterday, today, and tomorrow all at once. You have to take things one day at a time. Isn't that what you told Angelina at Fred's service?" Katie nodded.

"And you aren't going to be going through this alone. You'll have David, Josh, Jake, Jason, and J.J. I know J.J. is being a loner right now but I think that is only because you've never seen him cry and he is afraid that you will think he is weak if you do. He will get over that and he will lean on you so you can lean on him. Even if he doesn't get over it you will have me. You can always lean on me Kat. And I'm sure Alicia and Angelina will be there for you too. Today will most likely be the hardest but I can't promise you that. Now I think you need to get dressed because it's almost time. Can you do that?" Katie gave her brother's best friend a weak smile.

"Thanks Oliver and yeah I think I can get dressed but will you wait for me?"

"Of course Kit-Kat I'll be just outside the door if you need me." Oliver said pressing a kiss on her forehead and helping her up. While waiting for her outside her bedroom door like he promised the young Scot came face to face with his best friend.

"How is she?" J.J. asked quietly.

"She isn't good Jay but as good as can be expected today. I know you are grieving to but Katie needs you and I think you need her just as much. I don't know what David needs to tell you guys but I think you have some idea. And if it is what I think it is then your sister is going to need you so much more than she does right now. I don't mind letting Katie lean on me you know that J.J. So if you need to not be her shoulder today then I will step in and take care of her but when David is telling you two what he needs too I won't be there. You need to learn how to let your sister comfort you because there is only so much I can do. I can't share her pain the way you can Jay. Please share with her. She is in so much pain right now and the way you are treating her is making it worse." Oliver felt slightly bad for getting after his friend on today of all days. But J.J. needed to hear it. For years Oliver watched Katie run to her older brother, to seek comfort in his arms but never once had J.J. returned the favor. Oliver had seen his friend upset by a lot of things over the years, he had seen him and once heard him break down. J.J. usually used anger as his form of venting and breaking down. Only once had he seen J.J. upset enough to cry and that was the summer before their last year at school. J.J. had come over all upset because of something that had happened with his mom. That was the day that Oliver came close to knowing the truth about their father but after he calmed down J.J. just wanted to forget about it. So Oliver never mentioned it knowing that J.J. would bring it up if he wanted to talk about it.

"I know Oliver. I should have handled it better. I shouldn't have treated her that way and I'm sorry. Sorry for snapping at you too by the way. I don't want to push her away but I don't want to lie to her either. I know what David wants to tell us. I know more than mom or him realizes I do. I remember what happened all those years ago but pretended not too because mom and Katie needed me to not remember. I'm a wimp when it comes to my sister you know that and I'm afraid that if I let her cry on my shoulder then she will start asking me if I remember anything. And I will have to tell her that I do but Oliver she won't be able to handle just knowing what I know. She will demand to know the whole story so she can understand. As a family we need to get through today before opening up the door to the past. I will apologize to her but will you be there for her today? I just need until tomorrow because tomorrow is when David is going to tell us."

"Of course Jay." J.J. sent Oliver a thankful look before heading downstairs. Oliver sighed. He knew that this was going to be difficult for J.J. and Katie, which is why he decided to head over to their house a little early. He imagined J.J. would be comforting Katie the whole time, so he figured he could be there for J.J. He never imagined that his best friend would leave his sister's side for any reason. J.J. must have known that Oliver would be there for Katie. This was going to be a long day, Oliver could feel it. And as Katie stepped out of her room dressed and ready to go, Oliver knew that no matter how long the day was he was going to be by Katie's side until she didn't need him anymore.

Oliver wrapped his arm around her waist and led her down the stairs where the rest of her family was waiting. They left soon after that. No one spoke a word. Rebecca's service was short but exactly what Katie and her family had wanted. A few people came back to the house afterwards and Katie did her best put up with them but she just really wanted them to leave. The whole day she felt like she was drifting away in a sea of people that she really didn't know. The only thing that kept her anchored to familiarity was Oliver's arm. It stayed wrapped around her all day and if it wasn't around her waist then his hand was in hers. Katie liked how natural it felt for Oliver to be there standing next to her, supporting her. It was almost the same way David stayed by her mom's side for all these years. At one point during the day when he left her side for just a minute Katie suddenly missed the contact. If it had been another time or situation then Katie would have overanalyzed her feelings by herself and then with Angelina and Alicia. But since it was her mother's funeral and she was grieving she brushed the feelings off. After it was all over she had somehow managed to fall asleep against Oliver on the couch. She only half woke up when he carried her up to bed and helped her put her nightgown on. The last thing she remembers before going to sleep was Oliver brushing a soft kiss on her forehead.

The next morning Katie woke to the sight of her oldest brother sitting next to her bed.

"Morning sis. I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you. I shouldn't have pushed you away and told you that I needed to be alone. That was the last thing I needed or wanted. I just didn't want you to ask me questions about what David was going to tell us. I remember some things Katie. I remember what happened and the way mom was afterwards. I pretended not to remember because it was easier on you and mom if I didn't remember. But I will tell you what I know today. After breakfast David is going to tell us, so why don't you get up and ready so we can start?" Katie didn't respond to J.J. for a few minutes. Taking the time to wake up and let what he said sink in.

"It's ok Jay. I understand but all you had to do was tell me that you didn't want to talk about it if I asked. Where are Josh, Jake, and Jason?" Katie stood up to give her brother a hug.

"Oliver and his parents took them to their house last night so the three of us could be alone to talk." Katie nodded before kicking J.J. out so she could get ready. Half an hour later Katie was standing at the door of her mother's memory room with J.J. and David.

"Before we go in there I just want both of you to know something." David started looking both of his kids in the eye.

"No matter what anyone says or what you learn the two of you are my children. I love you just as much as your brothers and no matter what you are my kids ok?" the two of them nodded their understanding. David opened the door and the trio finally saw what Rebecca has kept to herself all these years. Or actually the boxes that had everything in it. Half of the boxes in the room had someone's name written on them and were stacked in the far corner of the room. The other half was in a pile in the middle of the room with a note addressed to the three of them in Rebecca's neat handwriting on top. J.J. and Katie moved into the room and David shut the door behind them. The two siblings sat down on the floor in front of the boxes with their backs leaning against the couch, while David took a seat across from them. They sat there for a minute looking at the note. Not wanting to wait any longer to get this started Katie grabbed it and read it out loud.

_"J.J., Katie, and David,_

_Hi guys. I know you all are not doing very well right now and I'm sorry for that. But I need you to know that I love you and didn't want to cause you any pain. And I did try. For twenty years I tried. J.J., Katie I know that you knew I was struggling and that this is not your fault. Yours either David. David you have been wonderful to me. So understanding and loving me when you didn't know what else to do. I know he asked you to take care of us and I know that you promised him because you loved me. And for that I thank you. I don't know if I would have lasted this long if it hadn't been for you. I want you to know that I do love you. Now I know Katie and Jay are probably wondering who he is. Well I think J.J. has some idea. David isn't your birth father kids. I think you both on some level know that. He loves you like you are his own and I don't want you to ever think otherwise. But it is time that you learned about your birth father. Inside these boxes is his identity and our story. I have left some notes with some of the items in here and I also left my journals from back then to help explain it all. I hope this helps you two better understand what happened and why I was the way I was. David knows more than you think and I believe will tell you the story as he saw it play out. David start from the beginning. Our beginning, mine and yours. I think that may help them. I'm sorry for the pain I put you through._

_Love always,_

_Rebecca"_

When Katie finished the letter all three of them had tears in their eyes. They wiped them away and continued.

"Well like your mom said I'm going to start from the beginning. This is going to be very emotional for me and I suspect for you two as well. If at any time you need a break let me know and feel free to ask questions. You guys ready?" J.J. and Katie nodded that they were and David started.

"It started about 1964. When your mother and her family moved in down the street…."

**Another chapter done. I hope you guys are liking this. I know it is being read because people have put it on alert**. **I would like it if ya'll would just drop me a quick note to say if you liked it or not. I hope I'm not confusing you guys and if I am review and I will try to clear it up. I know this might be a silly question but how many of you have a guess as to who their real father is? Those who guess will get the next chapter dedicated to them! One more thing, this is not my first HP story like I said before. It is my first multi-chapter story and I like to think it is much better than my previous stories. I will try to get the next chapter up next week sometime!**

**Brianna **


	3. The Story Begins

_The summer of 1964_

After five year old David Bell had finished his breakfast, his mother locked herself in her office to try and get some work done. David was trying to find something to do. Usually David and his parents would be at his grandparent's house this time of year. David liked going to visit his grandparent's because their house was huge, and it had a quidditch pitch in the back. But mostly he liked it because there weren't any muggles so he didn't have to pretend to be from a non-magical family. It's not like David hated muggles, he didn't. In fact he got along really well with most of the boys in his neighborhood, but there were only so many times that he could ask them what something like basketball was before they started to think he was weird. The other boys didn't pick on him or anything but they didn't go out of their way to include him in things. David was convinced that it was because they didn't like having to explain things to him and he didn't want the other boys to hate him so he just didn't hang out with them a lot.

When he was younger his mom would take him to her friend's houses so he could play with their kids. But she didn't do that anymore, his mom told him that as he got older she would need to work more. So David tried to find things to do by himself during the eight to nine months that most kids that were older than him were in school, knowing that as soon as it was June he would be spending the next couple months at his grandparent's house. But this year his dad was really busy at work and couldn't take time off so that the three of them could go. He had been spending his time reading some of his favorite books and playing with his toys but today he didn't feel like doing either of those things. After wondering the house for a good hour David decided to go outside and ride his bike up and down the street. It was as he was riding that he noticed the moving van in front of the last house at the end of his street. Every time he rode by he looked to see what the people were doing. He had been watching the movers for a couple hours when he saw her for the first time. She couldn't have been any older than four and she was sitting on the sidewalk in front of the house playing with her dolls. For some reason this little girl intrigued David. For the next hour or so he sat on his bike and watched her play until his mom called him in for lunch. While he was eating he told his mom about the new neighbors and she told him to go introduce himself. David agreed with her but wasn't too sure if he would. After lunch he went back outside to ride his bike some more and as he passed the house he noticed that the little girl wasn't playing anymore. He had been riding for about an hour without looking at the house, when he stopped to catch his breath. He hadn't noticed that he was across the street from the house and almost fell over in surprise when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. David turned around and saw the little girl he had been watching.

"Hi my names Rebecca, what's yours?" The four year old asked him with a smile.

"David I live down the street." For some reason the news that David lived down the street made Rebecca insanely happy.

"Oh my gosh! That's so cool, now we can be friends and play together all the time." David didn't know about playing with the girl all the time but maybe it would give him something new to do before he started school in September.

"I guess that would be ok. What kind of things do you like to play?" That was the day David became best friends with Rebecca Chase. For the rest of the summer the two of them played together every day and when school started for David they still saw each other at least once a day. David liked Rebecca a lot more than he did the other neighborhood kids, but had no idea why. He felt very protective of her and knew, even at the young age of five, that he would do anything for her. Over the next six years the two of them just grew closer and more than once David wanted to tell Rebecca that his family was magical. His parents made him promise that he wouldn't though, it broke his heart to say goodbye to her when he left for Hogwarts and he made his parents promise to give her all the letters that he planned on writing to her.

_The Bell House, Present Day_

"She already meant so much to me and leaving her to go to Hogwarts that day was really hard. A part of me feared that when I left for school everything would change. I was afraid that she would change and not want to be my friend anymore. I also feared that I would change, that Hogwarts would make me not want to hang out with my muggle friend because I couldn't tell her anything about my school or what I did there." David stopped the story and went to open the first box. The very first thing in the box was something that both Katie and J.J. recognized. It was a photo album that, for as far back as they could remember, had always sat in the bookshelf where the other family photo albums were kept. This was the only one that held pictures of David and Rebecca when they were younger, and when she was little Katie loved to take it out and look at it. David looked at the album as if remembering the memories it held before handing it to his daughter. Katie took it from him, opened it to the first page, and settled it between her and J.J. before reading the note her mother left.

_"These are the pictures of our first summer together. My life literally changed the day I met David and these are our memories from that time. Your Grandpa Chase took the first which is why we aren't moving. I know that you have looked at these pictures countless times Katie girl but I've added some new ones. Enjoy!"_

Going through the album J.J. and Katie watched their parents go from the age of four and five to ten and eleven. Very rarely did they come across a picture where there wasn't a smile on the two subject's faces but they did see a couple. In one of them six year old Rebecca was glaring at seven year old David, her clothes soaking wet. David smiled when he saw that picture.

"Your mom was so mad at me when that was taken. She yelled at me for a good five minutes because I thought it would be funny to push her in the pool and it was."

"That's not what mom thought." J.J. told him looking at Rebecca's note under the picture.

_"I was so mad at David for this. You see your grandparent's had decided to throw a backyard barbeque and it was at the Chase house because we had a pool. The Bell's weren't there yet and I decided to go change before they got there. Well apparently David had come in through the back gate and just as I was passing the pool he came and pushed me in. He thought it was hilarious but I had never been so mad at him." _ Katie smiled at the picture and couldn't help but think back to when J.J. did something similar to her. The next picture was one Katie had never seen before, it was just of Rebecca. She was about ten in the photo and she was crying. Katie read the caption out loud.

_"Since I was four David had been my constant companion and friend. There wasn't a day that the two of us didn't talk so the day he left for Hogwarts I cried so hard because I was going to miss him so much."_

The next thing in the box was Rebecca's Journal from the summer before her first year at school. Katie looked at David as if to ask his permission to continue the story. When he nodded at her she opened the journal and started to read.

_"Alright guys this is the first of many of my journals that I wrote while I was at Hogwarts. I suspect that David will let my journals tell the rest of the story for the most part and he should fill in any gaps that you may be missing. The people who I wrote about in here are all very dear to my heart. This was my Hogwarts family. I hope you come to love them as much as I do." _ Katie paused to take a breath before continuing.

_July 1971_

Rebecca Chase had been having an awesome summer if she did say so herself. First her best friend came back from school and things between them didn't change like she was afraid they might. Rebecca would be the first one to admit that when David left for school last fall she was afraid that he was leaving her behind as well. Thankfully that didn't happen and the two of them did what they had been doing every summer since she was four and he was five. There was something different about this morning though, Rebecca could feel it when she got up this morning. Not wanting whatever it was to ruin her day, she brushed it off. After getting dressed she headed downstairs just in time to give her parents a kiss before they left for work.

"Have fun with David today Becca and we will see you tonight. Oh and I left the mail on the table. You got a letter from somebody. Bye sweetie." Her mother told her before kissing the top of her head and leaving the house. She went into the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal, wondering who sent her a letter. She never got any mail except for birthday cards, so with some excitement she grabbed the letter to read while she ate. What she read surprised her and at first she thought it was a joke that David was playing on her. So she sat, finished her breakfast, and prepared to go tell her best friend he was crazy.

Twenty minutes later she was knocking on the Bell's back door. David's mom opened the door smiling at her.

"Good morning Rebecca how are you today?"

"I'm great Mrs. Bell how are you?"

"I'm great. Please come in David is in the kitchen finishing his breakfast." Rebecca followed the older woman into the kitchen preparing to make her friend feel guilty about his little joke. She knew that if she played it just right that she could convince David to do whatever she wanted that day.

"David Bell is this your idea of a joke because if it is I don't think it's very funny." She told him throwing the letter down on the table. David looked surprised at the sound of her anger and then he was surprised even more when he got a look at what she threw in his direction.

"Becca I didn't do anything and that letter is not a joke."

"Don't lie to me David. I know what is real and what isn't. And that stuff in that letter can't be real alright."

"Why can't it be real? Just because you have never seen any proof that it exists doesn't mean it doesn't." Rebecca didn't know what to say to that. She could tell from the tone of David's voice that he wasn't kidding or lying. She didn't know how she felt about being told she was a witch. On one hand it was kind of exciting but at the same time a little scary. After a few minutes of the two young kids sitting in silence, David's mom came over to see what her son and his friend were discussing.

"David what are you two fighting about?" Jennifer Bell asked her only son. David picked up the letter Rebecca had thrown at him to show it to his mother.

"Becca got a Hogwarts letter mom and thinks I'm playing a joke on her." Even though it didn't seem like David was lying, Rebecca still wasn't convinced and hoped that Jennifer would tell her that it was a joke. Unfortunately the look on Mrs. Bell's face told Rebecca that this was very real.

"Rebecca what David is telling you is true. This letter is very real and the reason I know this sweetheart is because this is the school that David goes to." Rebecca couldn't believe it. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to go to this school.

"Are you trying to tell me that you, David, and Mr. Bell have magic powers? And that if my parents decide that I can go to Hogwarts then I will be to?"

"Yes that is exactly what I am telling you. If you want I can help you explain this to your parents." Rebecca accepted Jennifer's offer and then went outside to play with David.

_Present Day_

J.J. didn't know what to think about his mother's story so far. The information he was getting wasn't new, most of it his parents had told him and Katie before. He didn't know why his mother wanted them to hear stuff that they already knew. Whatever her reason he just wished that they could get to the part of the story that they didn't know.

_Alright guys the next few entries aren't really important because it's mostly stuff you already know. Like my first trip to Diagon Alley and how my parents reacted to the news that I was a witch. The reason I wanted you to start with the beginning of David and my story was so the both of you realize how important he was to me. I know that you already know that for the most part but neither of us had ever really told you guys how we met or became that close. So that was my reasoning for that, does it satisfy you J.J.? _ Katie laughed as she read her mother's words.

"She knows you so well Jay." J.J. just rolled his eyes.

_Now I know that Katie will probably go back and read all of these journals later and that is fine. But for now I want you to skip ahead to the start of my first year at Hogwarts. And please remember while you are reading that David was always there and just because he isn't mentioned doesn't mean he didn't know what was going on._

"When she started school your mother started to have friends of her own. What I mean by that is that she met other girls who she became tight with. Actually now that I think about it, it was just the one. They were as different as night and day but they loved each other to death. They only had one thing in common in the beginning and that was the fact that both of them were muggle-born. But that was all it took to bond them together for life. You mom also met eight other boys that day. Five of them she would consider friends right away. One of them didn't speak to her very much, and the last two, well let's just say they didn't make a very good first impression." 

_Hogwarts Express September 1, 1971_

Rebecca was nervous and excited all at the same time, because she was finally on her way to Hogwarts. She couldn't wait to learn how to do magic and live in a castle. But there was a part of her that was nervous about how her life would change once she started going to Hogwarts. The magic part wasn't what bothered her, it was the sharing a dorm room with four other girls that she was unsure about. Ever since her family moved in down the street from the Bell's David had been her only real friend. It wasn't that she didn't get along with the girls from her neighborhood, she did but she just didn't really have anything in common with them. Rebecca was afraid that she would be stuck sharing a dorm with four other girls for the next seven years and that none of them would want to be her friend. Being surrounded by people but feeling completely alone was not something she enjoyed and she knew David would do his best to help her not to feel like that. But he had already been going to Hogwarts for a year and despite him having told her everything that happened during his first year, she knew that he had made new friends. She didn't mind that he had other friends but she wasn't sure how well she would fit into the magical part of David's life, after being only in the muggle part for so long. But he had assured her that his friends were looking forward to meeting her, so pushing her feelings of uncertainty to the back of her mind she sat patiently with David in their compartment and waited for his friends to arrive. They had been sitting there for about five minutes or so when a young boy with dirty blond hair poked his head in and spoke to David.

"Hey Dave do mind giving us a hand with our trunks?" the boy asked his friend not noticing Rebecca.

"Yeah Matt I'll be right there." The boy, Matt, shot his friend a grin in appreciation before leaving as quickly as his came. After he left David turned to the strawberry blond sitting to his left and addressed her.

"Becca I'm going to go help Matt and his brothers get their trunks on the train. I'll be back in a few minutes ok?" Rebecca stopped writing in her journal, looked up at her friend and smiled.

"Alright I'll be here." David left and Rebecca went back to her journal. He had only been gone for a few minutes when the door to the compartment opened once again. This time two people entered, one of them a slim athletic young man with dark brown hair and deep hazel eyes, his companion was a girl about Rebecca's age and she had the most beautiful long, dark red hair and bright emerald green eyes. The girl was standing slightly behind her friend and seemed a little unsure of her surroundings but curious at the same time.

"Hi are you David's friend?" the boy asked Rebecca nicely.

"Uh yeah I'm Rebecca Chase. Are you one of his friends?" she answered him shyly. He grinned and started shaking his head in response to her question, while motioning for the red-head to follow him inside and took a seat across from Rebecca.

"I'm Andrew Davies. It's nice to finally meet you Dave has told us so much about you. I feel like I know you already. I saw Dave on the platform and he told me that you were here. He is helping the Michaels brother's with their trunks which could take a while. Oh this is Lily by the way, she's muggle born too." Andrew told her introducing the girl beside him.

"It's nice to meet you both. Lily how do you know Andrew already?" As Andrew and Rebecca were talking Lily took the opportunity to study the other girl. She had shoulder length strawberry blond hair and light brown eyes. This girl seemed to be feeling the same as Lily herself was, excited about going to Hogwarts but a little unsure. Lily was brought out of her thoughts by Rebecca's question.

"Oh um he is my next door neighbor. He and his family moved in a couple of years ago, honestly we weren't that close of friends up until this summer when I got my letter. Andrew helped me a lot by telling me all he knew of school and magic. You and David are good friends right? That's how you know him?" Lily said to Rebecca. Rebecca smiled at Lily and decided right then and there that she liked Lily and hoped that they would be good friends.

"Yeah David has been my best friend since I was four. I don't know what I would do if he wasn't around to help explain this stuff to me."

"I know what you mean." For the next ten minutes the trio continued to talk and get to know each other. Lily was in the middle of telling Andrew and Rebecca about her sister when the compartment door burst open and David walked in along with three boys who looked exactly alike.

"Matt are we in the right place?" one of them asked his brother.

"Why yes I think so Mark. Why do you ask?" Matt answered.

"There are girls in this compartment and I didn't know Dave and Drew were cool enough to be friends with any girls." David and Andrew rolled their eyes at their friend's.

"Ha ha very funny guys, could you be serious for one second so we can introduce you?" David asked his friends.

"If you insist we would love to meet the pretty ladies." Matt and Mark said at the same time taking a seat next to their brother Malcom. David rolled his eyes at his friends again.

"Becca I see you have already met Andrew and his friend Lily. These three goofballs are the Michaels brother's, Matt, Mark, and Malcom. Guys this is Rebecca Chase." The three brothers' and Rebecca exchanged nice to meet you's and hellos.

"Alright Drew now we knew we would all meet Rebecca eventually but who is this stunning girl that you tricked into sitting with you?" Malcom asked his friend with a grin.

"This is Lily Evans and she is my next door neighbor. Lil this is Mark and Malcom, and of course that is David and Matt whom you have already met." After the introductions, the five boys caught up with each other and started to get to know the girls. Halfway through the train ride the conversation turned to Houses.

"So have you ladies given any thought to what House you would like to be in?" Mark asked them.

"Well when Andrew was telling me about them I thought I would like to be in Ravenclaw because I tend to be a little bit of a bookworm. I don't suppose Hufflepuff or Gryffindor would be so bad but I don't think I'm going to be in Slytherin nor does it sound like a House I would like to be in." Lily told the group.

"We would love it if you were sorted into Ravenclaw because then there would actually be some interesting girls to talk to in our house. What about you Rebecca?" Matt said. The other boys just rolled their eyes at him.

"Matt you have never had a decent conversation with one of the girls in our House about anything other than school, so it isn't fair to say that none of them are interesting." Malcom told his brother.

"Yeah well you haven't had a decent conversation with any of them either Mal so you can't say that they are interesting." Malcom was about to respond to his brother when Andrew stopped him.

"Will you two stop it please? Matt you asked Rebecca a question and then didn't give her a chance to answer it! Go ahead Rebecca." Andrew scolded the brothers.

"My answer is pretty much the same as Lily's. I would love more than anything to be in Ravenclaw." Rebecca announced.

"Well I would love to be in the same House as you Becca so we can share a dorm and I will at least have one friendly face."

"Yeah I would like that as well Lily." After the House conversation the boys decided that it would be a good idea to change into their robes and pointed the girls to the bathroom where they could change. Lily and Rebecca were on their way back to the compartment when all of a sudden they were knocked to the ground. The girls looked up to see two boys running down the train after each other.

"James! Sirius! Come back here you knocked these poor girls down. Are you two alright? I am so sorry about James and Sirius they seem to have a hard time looking where they are going." The girls looked to see who their rescuer was. It was a boy about their age who had light brown hair and kind blue eyes. He was thin and pale but Rebecca and Lily decided that he seemed friendly. Lily gave him a sweet smile has he helped her up.

"It's not you that has to be sorry I'm Lily by the way Lily Evans." He returned her smile and went to go help Rebecca.

"Remus Lupin it's nice to meet you Lily and your name is? Remus asked Rebecca.

"Rebecca Chase nice to meet you." While the three of them were introducing themselves the boys that knocked them down returned.

"Remus I thought you were right behind us what happened?" the taller of the two boys asked.

"Yeah you should have seen it, I beat James back to the compartment and he said that he was faster than me. Better luck next time Potter." The slightly shorter of the two boys told his friend. During this exchange the girls briefly study the appearance of the newcomers. The first boy that spoke, the one they assumed must be James Potter, had an athletic build, messy black hair, and had hazel eyes that were hidden behind glasses. The second boy, who was only a few inches shorter than his companion, had shoulder length black hair, and soft gray eyes that seemed to sparkle with amusement. They both had matching grins on their faces and seemed to have an air of confidence around them. Rebecca and Lily just thought they were rude and arrogant.

"He stopped to help us up seeing as how you two were too busy acting like five year olds to apologize for running us down." Lily snapped at the two boys. Remus and Rebecca looked shocked at the sound of Lily reprimanding the two boys. The two friends turned around at the sound of her voice and exchanged glances with each other.

"Well if I had known that I offended such a beautiful lady then I would have stopped to help. I am deeply sorry for offending you Miss. I hope you can forgive me. I'm James Potter by the way and who, may I ask, are you?" James said taking Lily's hand, kissing the back of it, and giving her a deep bow. The four others thought that James would be forgiven after his apology but they were wrong. Lily was convinced that James was trying to charm her into forgiving him and didn't really mean it when he said he was sorry. And that was not the way to earn forgiveness from Lily Evans.

"Lily Evans and I don't appreciate you making this into a joke Potter." When she said this Sirius burst out laughing, which caused Rebecca to glare at him.

"And what are you laughing at? At least he pretended to say he was sorry! You just stood there grinning like an idiot." Sirius's gray eyes widened in surprise at the girl who was yelling at him.

"Yes but it is just typical of James to be able to turn on the charm and have everything forgiven. I think it is very amusing that somebody finally told him off for it. I'm Sirius Black and you are?" Rebecca rolled her eyes at him and went to pull Lily away from her glaring match with James.

"Leaving, it was nice to meet you Remus. Come on Lil the guys are probably wondering where we are." Remus waved goodbye to the girls, while James and Sirius watched them go in shock. When they got back to the compartment they told the guys what happened and asked them if they knew anything about the three boys.

"I don't know anything about Lupin but Potter is an only child and his parents work at the ministry. The Potter's are very wealthy purebloods and unlike a lot of other pureblood families don't have a problem with muggle-borns. You two are going to find that not all wizarding families are real accepting of muggle-borns and half-bloods. There are a lot of people who think that only pureblooded children should go to Hogwarts. Slytherin is not a House you want to be in for this very reason. Almost all of the students in there come from families that are prejudice against muggle-borns. You should know that none of us in this room are like that. We don't care where you come from or who your parents are. There is no point in making a big deal about blood, we believe it doesn't matter." Everyone was silent as Matt finished speaking, trying to let the new information sink in. Finally Rebecca broke the silence.

"So Lily and I are muggle-born because our parents can't do magic? And I assume the students that have a muggle-born parent and a pureblood parent are considered half-bloods?" the five boys nodded that she was right.

"What about Black? Do you know anything about him?" Rebecca asked them. This time Andrew spoke.

"The Black family is one of the oldest pureblooded families still around. They are very nasty to all muggle-borns and half-bloods. Every member of the family that has come through Hogwarts has been in Slytherin. I'm actually surprised to hear that Black and Potter are hanging around each other. I have heard from my father that the Potter's and the Blacks don't get along very well. That is just the parents though I don't think that Black or Potter junior have ever met long enough to form an opinion about each other." Neither Lily nor Rebecca knew what to say to that but both secretly hoped that they wouldn't be in the same House as James or Sirius.

When the train pulled into the station the boys said goodbye to the girls, who went in the direction of the voice that was calling all the first years. When they got to where they were supposed to be, the two girls found themselves standing in front of an enormous man. Behind the giant man stood a magnificent castle sitting atop a mountain, which the girls assumed must be Hogwarts. Before they had time to take in the view of the castle completely the giant was telling them to get into the boats that Lily and Rebecca had failed to notice. To the girls dismay when they got settled into their boat they discovered that they were sitting with Potter and Black.

"Well hello again ladies. You know I thought it was a little rude of you to run off earlier without introducing yourself." Sirius said directing his statement at Rebecca, who turned to glare at him.

"Yes well I thought it was very rude of you to knock my friend and me to the ground." She told him.

"Yes well James and I were hoping you two would be able to forgive us our little mistake and that we could start fresh?"

"Yes well I don't think Lily and I want to do that. Do you agree Lily?" Rebecca turned to her friend who was doing her best to ignore James Potter.

"I most defiantly agree." Lily said being careful not to use her friends name. James and Sirius rolled their eyes.

"Well if you are going to be that way will you at least tell me the name of the girl who hates me?" Sirius asked her.

"No." Rebecca told him and then proceeded to ignore him for the rest of the ride to the castle. Rebecca knew she was being silly and that Sirius would find out her name at the sorting but for some strange reason didn't want to tell him.

Once they arrived at the castle they girls got separated from the two boys and Rebecca found her nervousness returning once again. She had become comfortable around David and his friends while on the train but as she stood in the entrance hall with a strict looking woman staring at them she was nervous again. The woman started speaking telling them that before they could eat that they needed to be sorted. She spoke for a few minutes before leaving them, saying she would return shortly. Once she returned she led them into the Great Hall and told them how they would be sorted. Lily and Rebecca stood together nervously awaiting their turn. When Sirius's name was called he brushed passed her and shot her a grin. Rebecca watched him and thought he seemed worried about something. She wondered what he could possibly have to be worried about but when the Sorting Hat announced that he would be in Gryffindor, the look on Sirius's face seemed to be one of relief. She watched him go sit at the Gryffindor table and wondered if Sirius believed that muggle-borns didn't belong at school, like Andrew had said the rest of his family believed. She was broken out of her thoughts by the strict Professor calling her name. She walked to the stool and listened to the hat talk to itself about where to put her. Finally after a couple minutes of what Rebecca could only describe as being awkward the hat shouted out Gryffindor and she went to join her table. After all was said and done Rebecca found herself sitting with most of the first years she met on the train. Lily, Remus, and James had all been sorted into Gryffindor as well. Along with a short chubby boy who said his name was Peter. Halfway through dinner and a conversation with Remus and Lily, Sirius spoke to her.

"Ms. Chase now that we are going to be in the same house don't you think we should call a truce?" He asked her. Rebecca looked at him for a minute pretending to consider what he was asking.

"No Black I don't. Now if you will excuse me I was in the middle of something." Rebecca turned around and continued her conversation with Remus and Lily.

_Present Day_

_I will always remember that first ride to Hogwarts as one of the best days of my life. It was the beginning of the next chapter in my life and it was exciting and scary all at the same time. Do either of you remember when I told you that being a part of a family didn't mean you had to be blood related? Well after meeting David's school friends they started to become part of what I called my extended family. The four of them were the brothers I never had. And Lily, she was the sister I always wanted. As for James and Sirius, I wasn't the biggest fans of them and neither was Lily. We thought it was incredibly rude of them to do what they did and not apologize for it. James pretended to apologize but the way he did it was as if to mock Lily. Sirius never attempted to say sorry and that made me angry. I didn't like either of them and wasn't too excited about being in the same house as them for seven years. I was determined to ignore both of them as much as I could. Lily and I made each other a promise when we got to our dorm that night. We promised to help each other avoid Black and Potter as much as possible. We had no idea of course how intertwined our lives would become with theirs over the next few years nor any idea how to stop it once they did._

Katie shut her mom's journal with a sigh. She was exhausted, it was almost two o'clock in the afternoon and she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Going through her mother's life was more tiring then she thought it was going to be. She wasn't sure if she could take anymore reminiscing today and from the look on his face J.J. didn't seem to be able to want to either.

"How are you guys doing with all of this?" David asked his children. Katie just sat there with a blank look on her face not knowing what to say. J.J. put his arm around her and she leaned into his chest.

"I'm doing as well as can be expected but I don't think I can take anymore of this today. Can we stop and pick it up tomorrow?" J.J. asked David.

"I think that's a good idea. How about we agree on the same time in the morning? I have to take a break too." The three of them agreed to pick up the story in the morning and left the room closing the door behind them. They had just gotten back downstairs when the doorbell rang. David opened it and was ambushed into a hug by six arms. When he pulled back he was greeted by the somber faces of three of his best friends.

"Drew got a hold of us and told us what happened. We are so sorry that we couldn't make it to the service. How are you and the kids holding up?" Matt Michaels asked him.

"It's alright Matt I understand. As for the kids, well they are doing alright I guess."

"Oh my goodness is that little Katie?! I can't believe it she is all grown up. Sweetheart you look just like your mother." Mark Michaels exclaimed going to give Katie a hug. Next to Mark and Katie Malcom was hugging J.J. Katie smiled and accepted the hugs and comforting words from the three brothers. But she couldn't stay there anymore, she had to get out of the house.

"Thanks Uncle Mark. I need to get out of the house for a while so I think I'm gonna go down to the Wood's and see the boys." Katie said before leaving the house.

"I think I'm going to go see if she's alright. It was nice to see you guys." J.J. said following his sister.

**I'm so sorry about not having this done sooner, but I haven't gotten many reviews for this story and I had some writers block for a while. I couldn't seem to get what I wanted to say out of my head and onto the computer screen just right. Anyway I hope the length makes up for not getting this done sooner. Just so you know I was kind of trying to make the Michaels brothers jokesters like the Weasley twins, I don't know if it came off that way. I also hope I did the Marauder's and Lily justice. I would love to hear what you think of this story so please take a minute to drop me a line. It doesn't have to be long, just an 'I liked' or 'I think this sucks' would do. And if you feel like it I would love to hear your guesses on who their birth father is!**

**Brianna**


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